7 Pro Tips for Brightening Your Bathroom

Regardless of whether it’s modern or traditional, grand or petite, every bathroom deserves some color. If you are shopping for a new hue to refresh you bath—and mood—these bathroom color tips from the pros are sure to help you make the right choice.

Take a Chance

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"The bath is a perfect place to take a chance with color," says Suzan Wemlinger, owner of Decorating Den Interiors/Suzan J Designs, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Because the bathroom is one of the smallest rooms in the house, "even a bold color doesn't come off as overpowering."

Inspiration All Around

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Ideas for bathroom colors can come from many places. The tempered-glass sink in this cheerful space sparked the room's overall palette. "I chose the wall color and accent tiles to play off the colors in the sink," Suzan Wemlinger reveals.

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Be Happy

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Searching for the perfect shade for the bath? "Choose a color that makes you smile," suggests Sara Reimer, assistant home and garden editor for Midwest Living. "This lavender is a happy color that looks great in a cottage-style bathroom."

Pretty in Pink

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When it comes to picking colors for the bath, stylist and author Janet Lee trusts in the power of pink. "I am a firm believer in bringing a subtle shade of pink into a bathroom," says Lee, whose blog, LivingInANutshell.com, highlights whimsical ideas for small spaces. "It's the kindest hue on your skin just when you need it most."

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Reflections of You

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Interior designer Kristine Robinson also recommends choosing colors that complement your skin tone, especially when decorating a bath in which you'll be applying makeup. "Rose and coral are very flattering, as are warm golds and browns," reports Robinson, principal of Robinson Interiors, in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.

Terrific Tiles

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Tiles offer homeowners the opportunity to play with color, shape, and texture in the bath. "We like to treat each tile like part of a larger mosaic," says architect Nina Fant, of Modus Design Studio, in Toronto. "The trick is to choose one or two areas where you can be really bold—like around the sink or bathtub—and then contrast it with a white background to make it pop."

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Be Daring

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Designer Jonathan Adler is known for his fearless use of color throughout the home. The line of eye-catching sinks he developed for Kohler brings the same exuberance to the bath. "People think they have to play it safe with color, but they don't," Adler observes. "A colorful sink is a way to take an over-the-top powder room and make it even more over-the-top."